Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 510: A Warrior’s Creed

Chapter 510: A Warrior’s Creed

The wind billowed with a vengeance, punctuating the eerie silence that had now enveloped Parafall.

"They will be upon us in a fortnight," Leslie remarked as he approached Natasha stationed on the wall.

Her gaze trained on the distant undead army fast approaching, Natasha replied. "They seem to have access to firearms of their own."

"It’s to be expected considering their background and the fact that they have a Headless Horseman leading them. Our only hope now is ensuring that the Horseman doesn’t survive the attack."

"If only there were more of us," Natasha remarked with Leslie letting out a sigh.

"Unfortunately, there aren’t."

"And I wonder who is to blame for that?"

Silence followed as Natasha glanced at Leslie before returning her attention to the burgeoning undead army.

"I came here to speak to you about something."

"What is it?"

"We had some desertions." Leslie intoned, causing Natasha to once again glance at him, her expression sour as she inquired.

"Enforcers fleeing from battle?"

"This is a lost battle and you know it. The only reason we are here is to preserve our Creeds."

"I think you have something wrong here, Leslie," Natasha remarked as she closed the distance between them. "That is why you are here. I am here to fulfill my duty."

Leslie offered no response as he knew that as much as it hurt to admit, she was right.

"They took supplies. We won’t be able to hold the lines as we initially planned."

"So we make a new plan."

"That’s why I’m here," Leslie remarked. "I plan to open the gates."

"To surrender?"

"No. I plan to blow up the city."

Natasha’s eyes flashed with emotion as she realized what he was planning to do.

In simple terms, suicide.

"We won’t survive."

"I don’t plan to," Leslie replied with a melancholic smile adorning his lips. "This is my way of atonement. Also, it’s the only way to spare the Empire from more troubles."

Natasha scrutinized him for a moment before taking a look at the approaching undead.

Moments seemed to stretch to eternity before she spoke up. "Alright then. But you should inform the others. Let them choose if they want to stay or leave."

"I planned to tell them after telling you. I made a mistake already, I don’t plan to make another."

Though still disappointed in him, Natasha appreciated his desire to make up for his wrongdoings.

So with a nod of acknowledgment, she returned to her post.

Leslie turned to leave only to pause as he inquired. "Do you hate the fact that you won’t be able to prove your father wrong?"

"..." Natasha paused for a moment, recalling that fateful night all those years ago.

’I should have killed you the night you were born. But your mother decided to hide you away from me.’

’How can you say that?... I am your daughter!’

’The Warrior Wheel only acknowledges men. You are a mistake that shouldn’t exist!’

She recalled the hurtful words her father said to her that day and in time, recalled her response.

’It doesn’t matter if I’m a woman, I will prove that I can be a Saint as well. I will prove that I am not a mistake!’

Five years had passed since those words were uttered, serving as the basis for her Creed.

And unlike others who had it easy, she struggled ten times more just to see progress.

Now, she was about to die and she had ended up not fulfilling that oath.

She felt something tremble within at that moment.

"No." Natasha finally replied. "I hate that I wasn’t able to grow strong enough to help more people."

Leslie glanced at her, only to find her staring at him as well.

Amidst the howling winds, he remarked with a newfound respect for Natasha. "I look forward to fighting alongside you."

"Likewise."

***

He once again found himself amidst the billowing snowstorm with no landmarks in sight.

Above, a pale light just enough to illuminate the surroundings was visible, allowing Alex to make out the figure in the distance.

It was the old lady or rather Eternal Winter but here, she was smaller, much smaller.

She approached him with steady steps, quickly covering the distance between them despite moving at a slow pace.

Alex tried to move away but the harder he tried, the closer she got to him.

And so, he snapped but nothing happened.

Finally, she arrived before him and using her shriveled-up hand, tried to grab his face only for Alex to grab her wrist.

Her eyes widened as he remarked coldly. "No."

Then in a shocking turn of events, he formed a fist and punched the representative of Distorted Frost, sending the old lady sprawling to the snow-covered ground in an instant.

He grunted as both the hand he used to hold her wrist and the one used to punch, both suffered from intense frostbite.

But Alex didn’t let up as he dropped to his knees and rained down several more blows on the old lady, not letting her breathe for a single moment.

Finally, her body fell apart, transforming into squirming maggots that drilled into the snow, and with that, the snowstorm subsided.

Shocked that he had won so easily, Alex felt something tugging at him and with some thought, allowed it to take him.

He gasped as he opened his eyes, realizing that he was back in the real world, still held captive by the tentacles of Eternal Winter.

Once again, he saw the regal wolf who upon meeting his gaze, exerted its Will on the aether.

Time around him froze for a moment so brief, it seemed inconsequential but Alex took what he could get.

Pa

As Eternal Night covered his body, he snapped again and this time, Embers roared like a wounded tiger, burning the tentacles that held Alex.

Once free, Alex didn’t hesitate to snap again, quickly teleporting to stand beside the Monster Wheel Mystic whose name he now recalled.

"Adelia."

"Why are you here, Dark Lord?" Adelia questioned harshly.

Though she had helped him, it was no surprise that she still held some anger toward him for what he had done to her in the past.

It also didn’t help that it was his actions that led to the death of her brother.